Photo Credit: Refugees International
11/07/2006

The Al-Tanf camp is located roughly one mile from the official Syrian border crossing. It is crammed in between two symbols of hope and desperation – directly to the north of the camp is the road from Baghdad to Damascus. South of the camp is a 10 foot tall concrete wall topped by barbed wire which lines the entire border region to prevent anyone from leaving the official roads and checkpoints between one country and the other. Tents are set up right to the wall, and only thirty feet separate the camp from the road. In October 2006, a 14-year-old boy was killed by a car while playing in the road.

With no permanent latrines and inadequate garbage collection, residents of the camp are forced to dump their garbage (seen to the right of the photo) and use bathrooms in the area of mounded dirt between the camp and the road.

The location of the camp leaves residents vulnerable to the instability in Iraq. Twice, the camp was raided by Iraqi police officers allegedly looking to kidnap young Palestinian men in order to sell them to extremist militias for execution. Both times, Syrian security forces arrived in time to drive the attackers away before they could take any Palestinians hostage. As a result, Syrian security forces are now stationed around the camp – a measure that provides security, but which also adds to the entrapment of this group. Even more vulnerable are the Palestinians from Iraq who are now trying to enter Syria and are being sent back to what they say is a death sentence.